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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: can · hand · bay · chest · pitch · game · wake · hide

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. chest — of your body
  4. hand — in cards
  5. wake — a trail
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. can — to be able to
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. chest — of your body
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. pitch — completely
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. can — a tin
  19. chest — a box
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — a match
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. can — a tin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com